Cold Survival
by Tim Burns
Summary: Prequel to The Doomsday Machine. A different view of Commodore Decker in the wake of the planet killer's destruction.
1. Act 1

**STAR TREK  
"Cold Survival"**

ACT ONE

Commodore Decker watched the screen grimly as the impossibly powerful construct that filled the view-screen began the invisible process of recharging its weapon, with which it had battered the U.S.S. _Constellation _nearly to destruction. The duration of this charging process had increased as the one-sided battle had gone on; Decker and his science officer had come to the conclusion that the construct (or organism, if it was possible that the massive thing could be alive) was gradually running out of power. It was a shame the _Constellation's _shields weren't stronger, or that the first thing that had gone out were the warp engines. If they had just a little more time, the sturdy ship may have simply outlasted the strange construct. As it was, Commodore Decker could only conclude that destruction was imminent.

With a subtle flick of his finger, he motioned for Commander Takeshewada, his First Officer. When she approached the Captain's Chair, Decker leaned in close to her. "I'm going to give the order for a full emergency evacuation."

"To where, Sir?" The First Officer asked.

"The third planet in this system is habitable. The crew should be fine there until another starship can pick them up."

"Sir," Science Officer Masada said, clearing his throat. "What sensor scans we've been able to do through that thing's neutronium hull indicate that it's extremely short on fuel. At least we know that unless it can refuel itself somehow, it won't be able to cause any serious harm to anyone else. I've done some rough calculations based on its estimated fuel consumption, and the weapon's previous recharge rates." Decker looked up at the Science Officer expectantly, daring to hope that the number he would give him was enough. "I'd say we have about thirty minutes before it can fire again, Sir."

Decker closed his eyes in relief. It could be enough. If we had only been able to maneuver more, he thought, regret mingling with his relief. The machine had wasted five or six shots before it took out the ship's impulse engines. If it had missed one or two more times...

"The cargo transporters are cleared for emergency personnel transport," Decker said to Takeshewada. "And we've got two. With those, we should be able to get everybody down to the planet before that demon can finish us."

Decker's excitement had caused him to speak more loudly than he had been, and everyone on the bridge was now listening. It didn't matter; he would be making the formal announcement shortly. But before he could, the Chief Engineer spoke up. "I don't know if we have enough power for all those transports, Matt. Half of the coils are fried already."

"Divert power from all primary systems. Even life support and artificial gravity if you have to."

"But, Sir," Takeshewada said, "That construct already destroyed one planet in this system. How do we know it won't destroy the one we beam down to?"

"The weapon's following a predetermined course," Decker said. "It doesn't seem like the type to turn around and go back. It must have some kind of programming that tells it to destroy certain types of planets. I think it's done with this system. Even if it isn't," the Commodore continued, "there are still three planets here. But there's only one ship, and this ship is gonna go the next time that thing fires its weapon. And that's going to be in about thirty minutes." Decker said himself resolutely. "It's our only chance."


	2. Act 2, Part 1

**STAR TREK  
"Cold Survival"**

ACT TWO

Commodore Decker watched another group of crewmen dematerialize under the wide gaze of the cargo transporter. Despite the feeling of desolation creeping through his system at the desperation of all this, he was pleased that the evacuation was going so well. There were only twenty more to beam, himself excluded. That was just one more transport.

Decker's communicator beeped. Power to the ship's intercom had been diverted to the transporters, so they were using the handheld communicators now. Decker flipped his open. "Decker here."

"Engineering, Matt. Bad news," the woman on the other end said slowly, and Decker's blood went cold. He should have known that, with the ship in this condition, things wouldn't go smoothly.

"What is it?" He growled.

"Transporters are gone, Sir. All of 'em. They just couldn't handle the increased activity after already being shook up by the attacks. There's no way we can fix them."

Decker swore. That was about as bad as it could get, short of the demon construct recharging faster than they had thought. But the game wasn't over; not yet. "How many shuttlecraft are operational?" Decker asked.

"Two," the engineer reported.

"That'll be enough. Report to the shuttlebay; we'll conclude the evacuation from there."

Decker scanned the remaining crewmen as they entered the cargo bay. He grabbed the first two gold-shirts he saw, and then realized that one was his Chief Helmsman, Lucas Dalton. The other, he didn't recognize. "Name?" Decker asked gruffly.

"Ensign Paul Jörgensen, Sir."

"I assume you can pilot a shuttlecraft?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. Follow Dalton down to the shuttlebay. We have two working shuttlecraft, and they'll each need to make two trips to fit everybody. Go!"

"Yes, Sir!" Jörgensen said, and left.


	3. Act 2, Part 2

The first run to the planet had been completed without incident, but time was running low. Lieutenant Dalton had already taken the rest of the crew, except the captain, in one shuttlecraft, and Commodore Decker was helping Jörgensen pack some meager supplies into the other craft.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Captain?" Jörgensen asked, when they had filled the shuttlecraft to capacity.

Decker gave him a sad smile. "The Captain's place is with his ship, Jörgensen. That's the first thing you learn in naval history. I don't want to die, Son. But I've served on this ship for almost twenty years, from the first time it flew out of space dock. I figure I should be here when the end comes." Decker looked down at the deck, and then looked back up, and offered Jörgensen his hand. "I'm proud of all of you. I can't say that enough. It's a fine crew down there, and I wish we could've served together longer."

Jörgensen suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if he were a priest taking the last confession of a terminally ill man. Who was he, that Commodore Matthew Decker should confide in him like this? Jörgensen turned, and climbed into the shuttlecraft. He closed the door silently, and Decker gave a final salute, and then excited the hanger deck to open the shuttlebay doors.

Watching the infinity of space widen before him, Jörgensen manipulated the controls, and the shuttlecraft surged forward into the void. The shuttlebay doors closed behind him, for the last time.


	4. Act 3, Part 1

**STAR TREK  
"Cold Survival"**

ACT THREE

Commodore Decker stepped into the auxiliary control room. He would've preferred to spend his final moments in the bridge, but the secondary access was blocked, and he didn't want to risk a power malfunction while he was inside the turbolift. He shuddered at the thought of dying it that cold, sterile tube. The control room was dark, but he somehow managed to get the view-screen working. When the monstrous demon, that was to be his executioner, made its final killing blow, he wanted to see. He would face it like a man, brave even in death.

But then, the light in the deep maw of the construct flickered, and somehow Decker knew that it had restored its power, depleted from the last attack. This would be it, then. Decker braced himself for the final blast that would crush the ship, but it never came. The Commodore watched in ever-increasing horror as the hell-spawned machine turned, ever so slowly. Decker's eyes widened as he realized the direction the construct was now facing. The planet. The _third_ planet, where all of the surviving crew of his ship had been sent, by his order.


	5. Act 3, Part 2

Ensign Jörgensen also watched, dumbfounded at the sight. What was he supposed to do now? The subspace radio came on, as if in answer to his silent question.

"Dalton calling Jörgensen!" It began, urgently. "The planet is breaking up!" The message began to crackle harshly, as a wave of subspace interference hit it. "We may still have time to evacuate, but not—" The transmission abruptly cut off, as the subspace interference increased. Jörgensen tried vainly to reestablish communications, but it was impossible. The shuttlecraft's sensors were strong enough to tell him what condition the planet was in. When the construct struck, a planet might be destroyed in a matter of seconds. Jörgensen didn't think that Dalton would have time to get his shuttlecraft off, much less get another ship to the planet and then back out.

Jörgensen's heart told him that he must be there with his comrades, even if it meant dying with them. Just like Commodore Decker going down with the ship. At the Academy, Jörgensen had been taught to face death boldly, and to challenge it. But surely Starfleet didn't expect a man to simply go and throw away his life merely in the name of solidarity. No! The people down there were already dead, Jörgensen thought. They must be! But I can still save myself!

Ensign Paul Jörgensen turned the shuttlecraft, and sent it at warp speed out of the system.


	6. Act 3, Part 3

Decker's mind raced. How had he made such a tragic mistake? The demon machine didn't go back to a system it had already attacked; that's what he said to his First Officer. But that was before the construct had to use so much fuel to stop the _Constellation_.

Decker slumped into a seat, his legs going weak as the cold reality dawned on him. Sensors had found the machine to be very old, far too old to be operating still if it could run out of power so easily. The planets...the planets that it destroyed...somehow they were its fuel source. Perhaps the very act of extracting energy from the planets was what caused them to break up. The demon machine had determined that the _Constellation_ was no longer a threat, and then it had gone to the nearest planet to refuel.

Decker put his head in his hands, overcome with grief. He should've known. He was the Captain; it was his job to know. It was his job to protect the lives of his crew, and yet they were dead, and here he was, still alive.

Decker's lifted his head up, put it was cold, and pale as death. Maybe, somewhere in the dark corners of his mind, he _had_ known. He had known that the ship would be safe, and he had stayed, not as a Captain's final duty to his ship, but to save his own life.

The communications system on the _Constellation_ was down, but in his mind, Decker could hear the crew calling him, begging him for help. His head dropped again, and he sobbed.

**THE END**


End file.
